New Zealand is a favourite destination for Work Visas. People from all over the world come to work there.
The below stat and data points give more details about how people from different countries prefer New Zealand Work Visas. Work visas include long-term visas like Accredited Employer Work Visas and temporary (6- 12 month) visas like Working Holiday Visa.
Key Highlights:
- India remains the top nation for work visa applications, with 31,019 approved and 1,389 declined in 2021/22. This number increased significantly to 38,455 approved and 2,978 declined in 2023/24.
- China also saw a strong presence, peaking at 27,438 applications in 2022/23, but the approval numbers dropped to 15,608 in 2023/24, with 1,061 declined.
- Great Britain consistently maintained a steady application rate, with 13,920 approved and 586 declined in 2023/24
- The Philippines showed many applications, with 19,242 approved and 952 declined in 2023/24, representing a significant contribution to New Zealand’s workforce.
- Germany, France, and the United States saw moderate application numbers, with approvals in the 7,000 – 8,000 range over the three years, contributing to New Zealand’s skilled migrant inflow.
South Korea and Japan also played a role, though at a smaller scale, with South Korea having 2,429 approved applications in 2023/24 and Japan seeing a steady increase to 5,004 approvals.
Table 1: The below table summarizes the New Zealand work visa approvals and declines from 2021/22 to 2023/24 by Nationality.
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | ||||
| Nationality | Approved | Declined | Approved | Declined | Approved | Declined |
| India | 31,019 | 1,389 | 29,665 | 1,588 | 38,455 | 2,978 |
| China | 12,861 | 826 | 26,041 | 1,397 | 15,608 | 1,061 |
| Great Britain | 11,210 | 340 | 14,660 | 548 | 13,920 | 586 |
| Philippines | 17,594 | 913 | 23,311 | 830 | 19,242 | 952 |
| Germany | 3,360 | 51 | 8,664 | 98 | 7,267 | 76 |
| France | 4,614 | 61 | 9,194 | 79 | 7,838 | 76 |
| United States | 4,713 | 128 | 8,256 | 294 | 6,022 | 286 |
| Vanuatu | 12,314 | 217 | 7,610 | 81 | 7,794 | 61 |
| Fiji | 4,595 | 281 | 9,356 | 504 | 6,607 | 534 |
| South Africa | 5,979 | 242 | 7,001 | 197 | 4,510 | 133 |
| South Korea | 3,928 | 128 | 4,251 | 165 | 2,338 | 91 |
| Samoa | 9,993 | 269 | 5,769 | 169 | 5,264 | 186 |
| Japan | 2,462 | 68 | 4,167 | 96 | 4,908 | 96 |
| Malaysia | 3,690 | 68 | 5,591 | 121 | 4,406 | 87 |
| Canada | 2,104 | 57 | 3,408 | 227 | 2,887 | 162 |
| Tonga | 4,129 | 129 | 3,257 | 129 | 3,002 | 131 |
| Sri Lanka | 2,733 | 115 | 3,984 | 161 | 4,310 | 221 |
| Brazil | 2,873 | 103 | 2,620 | 81 | 1,816 | 74 |
| Ireland | 1,937 | 41 | 2,420 | 36 | 1,998 | 44 |
| Italy | 1,673 | 40 | 2,834 | 84 | 2,142 | 64 |
| Argentina | 2,773 | 52 | 3,087 | 66 | 2,990 | 102 |
| Chile | 2,905 | 57 | 2,822 | 66 | 2,409 | 55 |
| Thailand | 1,824 | 81 | 2,519 | 106 | 2,120 | 109 |
| Vietnam | 1,241 | 90 | 4,541 | 376 | 3,657 | 718 |
| Czech Republic | 2,190 | 15 | 2,497 | 30 | 1,439 | 21 |
| Netherlands | 894 | 17 | 1,776 | 31 | 1,377 | 39 |
| Nepal | 2,237 | 59 | 1,549 | 74 | 1,926 | 111 |
| Indonesia | 1,093 | 84 | 1,577 | 106 | 1,462 | 69 |
| Russia | 724 | 34 | 1,175 | 190 | 1,558 | 135 |
| Taiwan | 1,272 | 16 | 1,456 | 43 | 1,860 | 20 |
| Ukraine | 848 | 22 | 723 | 68 | 803 | 36 |
| Solomon Islands | 815 | 4 | 1,198 | 10 | 1,336 | 5 |
| Bangladesh | 618 | 39 | 1,145 | 44 | 1,066 | 159 |
| Hong Kong | 642 | 27 | 672 | 45 | 468 | 40 |
| Belgium | 435 | 10 | 882 | 32 | 604 | 27 |
| Sweden | 289 | 8 | 546 | 16 | 462 | 21 |
| Spain | 473 | 10 | 976 | 11 | 1,136 | 19 |
| Uruguay | 401 | 9 | 1,061 | 19 | 736 | 20 |
| Pakistan | 390 | 22 | 717 | 73 | 1,163 | 143 |
| Mexico | 569 | 18 | 873 | 29 | 564 | 22 |
| Singapore | 431 | 14 | 757 | 54 | 612 | 45 |
| Colombia | 726 | 25 | 529 | 18 | 490 | 21 |
| Denmark | 172 | 3 | 487 | 15 | 479 | 13 |
| Kiribati | 506 | 17 | 801 | 18 | 750 | 23 |
source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
Growth and Patterns:
- Temporary work visas, like Working Holiday Schemes, remain popular among multiple nationalities, especially in developed countries, mainly Europe.
- Long term Work visas like AEWV, which is also a pathway to Residency in NZ, are popular among Asian countries like India, Vietnam
Reference: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
About ICL Immigration
ICL Immigration, based in Auckland, is an established licensed immigration adviser and immigration consultant with over 20 years of experience. We’ve helped over 1,000 immigrants realize their New Zealand settlement dreams.
We specialize in various visa services, including student, residency, work visas and business-related services like employer accreditation. We ensure personalized solutions for individuals and businesses aiming to navigate New Zealand’s immigration landscape successfully.
